Harness-operating device for looms



J. WILKINSON. HARNESS OPERATING DEVICELFOR l00MS.- v

1,417,220 N man ran. 25. I921.

Patented May 23, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INvENruV:

ELM M J. WILKINSON. HARNESS OPERATING DEVICE FOR LOOMS.

Patented May 23, 1922.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25.192]. 1,417,220..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INvm ruv:

UNETED fi'lATiES PATENT @FFHIE.

HARNESS-OPERATING DEVICE ZEGR LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1922.

Application filed February 25, 1921. Serial No. 447,786.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAnnz VVlLKINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fall River, county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Harness-Opcrating Devices for Looms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

It sometimes happens in weaving cloth that the warp threads are broken and it is necessary to tie the broken ends. oration, one of the harness frames is always elevated when the others are down. As the machines have hertofore been. constructed, the repair has to be done while the harness frames are in this uneven position, that is, while one is up and the others are down. This renders it difiicult to gain access tothe threads to tie the broken ends. -One object of the present invention is'to provide a construction whereby when the loom is stopped,

the elevated harness may be lowered to the level of the others. by mounting the main stud in an eccentric bearing and providing means whereby the.

Another object of the invention is to provide a single pulley to carry a strap to support two harness frames in place of the use of dlfferential rolls.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view showing a portion of a loom frame equipped with harness operating mechanism embodying the invention adapted for five harnesses, the parts being locked in such manner as to make it operative for either two or four harnesses.

In op- This is accomplished Fig. is a view of the harness operating mechanism showing the eccentric operating lever turned up to change the position of the main stud and thereby slack all the harnesses.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the parts unlocked and in position to operate three harnesses.

Fig. 4: is a view showing-the parts unlocked and in position tooperate five harnesses. I

Fig.5 is an enlarged view of the harness operating mechanism embodying the inven tion, with the parts locked in position to operate either two or four harnesses.

Fig; 6 is a side view partly in section of the parts shown in Figure 5.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 but showing the parts in unlocked position.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the eccentric bearing and operating lever.

Fig. 9 1s a slde view of the eccentric and its operating lever shown in Figure 8.

Fig. 10 .is a detail view of the quadrant which forms a part of the locking mechanism, and which supports one of the harness straps and also forms a bearing for one of the sheaves.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 representsthe arch of the loom frame and 2 one ofthe harness frames, 8 the straps which support theharness frame, and 4 the sheaves mounted on the arch of the loom frame over which the saidstraps pass; 5 represents a bracket which is mounted on the arch of the loom frame. Said bracket 5 is bifurcated at its upper end having two branches 66 which are curved away from each other to form a concave seat for a bearing member 7. Said member 7 is formed with an eccentrically disposed aperture which forms an cecentric'bearing for the main stud 8. The box 7 which provides the eccentric bearing for the main stud 8 has a disk portion having a circular periphery 9 which is seated in the are-shaped crotch of the fork arm 6, 6 of the bracket'5 and is rotatable on its axis so that the eccentric bearing of the stud .8 may be varied in position by reason of the bifurcated formof the seat for the bearingv member 7, said bearing member with the parts supported thereby may be readily lifted out.

The circular periphery 9 of the box is embordered bytwo radial flanges 10, 10, thus forming a peripheral groove'to receive the branch arms 6, 6 of the bracket. The flanges of the groove guide the bearing box in its rotation and retain it against axial movement.

The bearing box '7 has an eccentrically disposed hub extension 11 to afford a longer bearing for the stud 8, the bore 17 for the stud extending through the disk and hub. The stud is made fast to the bearing by a set screw 12.

The box bearing is provided with a lever or crank handle 13 to turn the box bearing on its axis to change the position of the main stud 8 with relation to the centre of the machine. Preferably this handle is connected with the hub 11, the hub, disk and handle, all being cast as one piece. A lug 14 is provided on the side of the bracket 5 against which the handle 13 strikes to limit its movement when it is turned down in its normal position. The bearing member has a projection 15 on one of the flanges 10 which is adapted to engage said stop 14 when the handle is turned into its upward position to lower the harness to limit the movement of the bearing. Preferably the bearing member 7 is formed with a second tubular boss or hub 11 eccentric with the disk and with a bore 17 to receive the main stud instead of using the bore 17 This is to enable the same casting to be used on either the right or the left side of the loom frame as desired, so that it is not necessary to make separate castings as ri hts and lofts.

A lever 18 which is termed tlie main lever has a hub 19 by which it is mounted rotatably on the stud 8. The said lever 18 carries at its outer end a tubular boss in which is mounted a stud 20 projecting at right angles to the lever and on which is mounted a harness pulley or sheave 21 which turns on said stud. Said sheave has a groove over which runs a strap or cord which maybe used to support either a single harness frame by connecting the opposite ends of the strap to the same harness frame, or to support two separate harness frames by connecting the opposite ends of the strap to separate harness frames. Heretofore so far as I am aware this has never been done. Two separate harness frames have never been supported by a strap running freely over a single groove. Usually there has been employed a step pulley with different grooves or separate pulleys and separate straps for each harness frame.

The said lever 18 has a shorter arm 22 which projects radially from the hub 19,

lever has a hub portion 26 formed with a hole 27 through which the stud 24 passes loosely so that the lever can be easily put on and off the stud. It is clamped to the stud 24 however by a binding screw 28.

The said lever has one arm 29 which I shall refer to as the quadrant. It is radial to the hub and is segmental in form, having an arc-shaped periphery 32 at its outer end, so that it is adapted to carry one of the harness straps when properly adjusted for that purpose. It has a flange 30 at each end of the arc formed with a screw hole to permit the attachment of one of the straps of the harness by means of a screw 31. Only the flange at one end of the arc will be connected with a strap at the same time but both flanges are provided so that when the quadrant is reversed as will be hereinafter described it will be fitted for connection with the strap in either position.

Nhen it is not to be in commission as a carrier, it is locked to the main stud. This is the case when the device is used with two or four harnesses as in Fig. 1. To permit of looking it to the main stud the quadrant is formed with a hole 33 which is adapted to receive the extended end of the main stud 8. When the quadrant is thus engaged with the stud 8, it must rock with its stud 24 in unison with the main lever 18.

The quadrant lever has an arm 38, preferably 180 from the arm 29, which carries in a hole 37 at its outer end stud'34 on which is loosely mounted a sheave 35. Said sheave 35 is like the sheave 21 adapted to carry two frames by a single strap when desired. The stud 34 is made fast in the hole 87 in the arm 38.

lVhen the device is set for use with four harnesses the quadrant lever is looked as in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, and two straps are carried by the sheave 21 and. two are carried by the sheave The two levers 1S and 89 will then rock as one.

hen the device is to be used for a two harness action, the quadrant lever will still be locked as in Fig. 1 and only one strap will be carried by each of the sheaves 21 and 35. I

lVhen the device is to be used for a three or five harness action the quadrant will be unlocked and one strap with a single frame will be carried by the quadrant and two frames by a single strap by one of the sheaves, or two each by the two sheaves, according to whether a three or five harness action is desired.

When it is to be adjusted for the three or five harness action, the quadrant lever is first removed from the main stud and reversed in position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. To accomplish this, the set screw which binds the main stud to its bearing in the eccentric disk is loosened and the main stud 8 is then withdrawn fromits bearing, carry ing with it the entire main lever 18 and. the secondary or quadrant lever 89. The quadrant lever is also separated from the main lever, the main stud being withdrawn from locking engagement with the hole 33 in the quadrant. The quadrant lever is then turned so as to face in the opposite direction and is mounted on its stud 9-1 which is inserted in the hole in the short arm 22 of the main lever. The binding screw is set up to clamp the quadrant lever in its bearing and the cotter pin in the other end of the stud 24 prevents withdrawal of the stud 24 and the quadrant lever. The quadrant lever now faces in just the opposite direction to that which it occupied when set for a two or four harness action, that is, the flange 36 of the rim projects inward that is toward the main lever 18, instead of outward as in Fig. 6. For a three harness action the main lever 18 is'turned down into a substantially horizontal position, as in Fig; 3., so as to throw the sheave 21 out of operative position. The sheave 85 carried by the secondary or quadrant lever supports two harnesses and the quadrant itself sup ports one harness. The tension of the harness straps on the sheave 35 and the quadrant caused by the pull of the harness frame will keep the quadrant in proper posi tion while the main lever is turned down..

For use with five harnesses the main lever 18 is turned up into vertical position as in Fig. 4;, bringing the sheave 21 to the top again, the other parts being left as for the three harness position, and the sheaves 21 and 35 willeach support two harnesses and. the quadrant will support one harness.

Vhen a break occurs in one or more of the warp threads and it is desired to tie the broken endsthe eccentric bearing is turned. in its seat by turning the crank arm from the downward position shown in Fig. 1 to the upward position shown in Fig. 2. The

lug 15 which projects from the eccentric disk strikes the lug" 14- on the bracket 5 to limit the upward swingof the crank arm lever. This upward swing of the crank arm lever moves the axis of the main stud 8 nearer the center of the loom and slacks off the harnesses which lowers that one of the harness frames which is in its elevated position. This provides convenient access to the broken threads. j

The loom arch lis rounded off at the end where the bracket 5 is attached as shown at 39 and the bottom of the bracket is con caved to fit the curve of the arch, so that the bracket can be mounted on the arch in an inclined position as shown in Fig. 1. This arrangement allows the downwardly hanging crank arm 13 to hang a little back of the vertical and thus brings the axis of the main stud and eccentric hole in the disk in which it is mounted. a little below the center of the disk 7. If the axisof the main stud were higher than the center of the eccentric disk the pull of the harness straps on the sheaves would tend to turn the eccen trio 7 in the hearing in the fork ,ina direction to lift the crank lever 13, and therefore to drop the harness frame when it is not in tended to be let down. By setting the anisof the stud lower than the center of the disk 7 so that the crank lever extends down in a line inclined slightly toward the loom frame, the pull of the harness will cause the handle 13 to press more firmly against the stop 14:.

The design of the machine in arrangement of the sheaves and quadrant lever makes for compactness and also brings the pull of the harness straps into more central relation to the main stud and thereby shortens the leverage and makes the parts wear longer and makes it possible to make the device of lighter construction.

It is to be noted that each strap 3 is connected at each end with one of the harness frames and that it runs freely over the sheave without being attached thereto. In all devices heretofore made, so far as known to me, each harness strap ismade fast to the sheave.

What 1 claim is:-

1. in combination with a harness supporting lever for a loom, a stud on which said lever is mounted, a rotatable eccentric hearing for said stud, and a forked support having a concaved seat between the branches of the fork for said bearing, said hearing be ing rotat z-ible onits axis on said seat to shift the axis of the stud to a ditlcrent position to lower the harness frame and being removable by lifting; jl'ilOIndllS seat.

2. A harness operatingdevice for looms having in combination with a main stud, an eccentric bearing; therefor, means for rotat- .ing said bearing to shift the position of the axis of the said stud, a lever rotatably mounted on said stud intermediate the ends of said. lever. one'arin of said lever carrying a sheave. a stud carried by the other arm of said lever on which a secondary lever'is pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of said secondary lever, ne of said secondary lever being formed with a curved periphery to support a harness strap, the other arm of said secondary lever carrying stud on which is mounted'a-sheave for supporting a strap. l

3. A harness operating; device for looms having in combination with a main stud an eccentric bearing therefor, means for rotating;- said bearing to shift the position of the axis of the said stud, a lever rotatably mounted on said stud intermediate theends of said lever, one arm of sald lever carrying a sheave, a stud carried by the other arm of main stud may be engaged to lock the two said lever on which a secondary lever is pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of said secondary lever, one arm of said secondary lever being formed with a curved periphery to support a harness strap, the other arm of said secondary lever carrying a stud on. which is mounted a sheave for supporting a strap, said sheaves each having a guide groove whereby each is capable of supporting either one or two harnesses by a single. strap to adapt the device to looms having different numbers of harnesses.

-l. A harness operating device for looms having in combination with a main. stud, an eccentric bearing therefor, means for rotat ing said bearing to shift the position of the axis of the said stud, a lever rotatably mounted on said stud intermediate the ends of said lever, one arm of said lever carrying a sheave, a stud carried by the other arm of said lever on which a secondary lever is pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of said secondary lever, one arm of said secondary lever being formed with a curved periphery to support a harness strap, the other arm of said secondary lever carrying a stud on which is mounted a sheave for supporting a strap, the arm of the secondary lever which has the curved periphery having a hole with which the main stud may be engaged to lock the secondary lever and the main lever together.

5. A harness operating device for looms having in combinationwith a main stud, a bearing therefor, a lever rotatably mounted on said stud intermediate the ends of said lever, one arm of said lever carrying a sheave, a stud pro'ecting from the other arm of said lever on which a secondary lever is pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of said secondary lever, one arm of said secondary lever being provided with means to support a harness strap, the other arm of said secondary lever being also provided with means to support a harness strap, and means whereby the secondary lover may be locked to the main lever so as to rock in unison therewithwhen desired, said locking means consisting of providing a hole in one arm of said secondary lever with which the levers together when desired to cause them to move as one, the secondary lever being adjustable to release the locking connection between the two levers so that the two levers may rock independently of each other.

6. A harness operating device for looms having in combination a main lever provided with a harness supporting member, a stud on which said lever is mounted, a secondary lever having a pivoteonnection with said. main lever and adapted to rock independent of said main lever, said secondary lei or having two arms each of which is provided with means for supporting a harness strap, and means whereby the secondary lever may at will be locked to the main lever and thereby caused to rock in unison with the main lever, said locking means consisting of providing a hole in one arm of said secondary lever with which the main stud may be engaged to lockthe two levers together when desired to cause them to move as one, the secondary lever being adjustable.

7. A harness operating device for looms having in combination with a main stud a boa: therefor, a lever rotatably mounted on said stud and carrying a harness strap supporting member, a stud projecting from said lever on which a secondary lever is pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of said secondary lever, each arm of said secondary lever-being provided with means to support a harness strap, said secondary lever being formed wit ia hole which is adapted to be engaged with the main stud to lock'the secondary lever to the main lever so that the two levers are locked together, said secondary lever being separable and reversible so as to face in the opposite direction to the position it occupies when engaged with said main stud, said secondary lever being so constructed that when in said reversed position the main stud will not be engaged with said hole and the two levers will be capable of 0s cillating independently of each other.

8. A harness operating device for looms having in combination with a main stud abearing therefor, a lever rotatably mounted on said stud and carrying a harness strap supporting member, and a stud projecting from said lever on which a secondary lever is pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of said. secondary lever, one arm of said secondary lever being formed as a quadrant which is adapted to support a harness strap,

the other arm of said lever being provided with means to support a harness strap, the quadrantarm being formed with a hole which is adapted to be engaged with the main stud to lock said secondary lever to the main lever.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

J ABEZ VVILKINSON. 

